Philosophizing as a Mode of Meaning-Making in the Training of Future Primary School Teachers: The Potential for Forming Civic Subjectivity in Language and Literary Education

Abstract

This article provides a philosophical interpretation of philosophizing as a meaning-making practice in the professional training of future primary school teachers and explores its potential in the formation of civic subjectivity within the language and literary educational domain. The relevance of the study is determined by the ongoing transformation of contemporary education, characterized by a shift from knowledge transmission to the development of a subject capable of meaning-making, value-based reflection, and responsible civic action. The aim of the article is to theoretically substantiate philosophizing as a meaning-making practice and to determine its role in shaping the civic subjectivity of future primary school teachers in the context of language and literary education. The research methods include philosophical reflection on educational phenomena, hermeneutic interpretation of cultural texts, phenomenological description of subjective educational experience, and conceptual modeling of pedagogical processes. These methods enabled the disclosure of the semantic nature of educational interaction and its connection with processes of interpretation, understanding, and self-formation of the subject. The results of the study demonstrate that philosophizing in teacher education functions not merely as a tool for developing critical thinking skills, but as a fundamental mode of constructing personal and professional meaning. It is established that the language and literary educational domain creates a special interpretative space in which future teachers engage with cultural texts, thereby developing the ability for ethical judgment, reflective thinking, and responsible civic engagement. Civic subjectivity is conceptualized as an integrative characteristic of personality that emerges through meaning-making processes and dialogical interaction with cultural narratives. The conclusions indicate that philosophizing is a foundational condition for the transition from a knowledge-based to a meaning-oriented model of teacher education. It contributes to the formation of future teachers as active civic subjects capable of interpreting social reality, engaging in moral reflection, and performing responsible pedagogical action. Further research perspectives include the development of methodological approaches to integrating philosophizing into the practical training of primary school teachers within competency-based education frameworks.